Fresh out of the box: getting started with your first interchangeable lens camera

Fresh out of the box: Getting started with your first ILC

For the more established and experienced photographers of the internet, I will borrow the dedication page to Mark Z. Danielewski's "House of Leaves:"

This is not for you.

This article is for your elderly neighbor, your young nephew or niece, or anyone whose photographic journey up to now begins and ends with a smartphone.

If this describes you, then hello. Welcome. You, budding photographer, have decided to embark on a new hobby, or an extension of something you've enjoyed on a mobile device, and this holiday season you have purchased (or been gifted) an interchangeable lens camera of your very own. You may not know why exactly you wanted or needed one - or even that some cameras come with lenses that detach in the first place.

Let's unravel the basics here, so you can get from the box-opening to the picture-taking as quickly and as free from headaches as possible.

The FIRST thing you should do is RTFM (Read The Fine Manual). It will tell you how and have illustrations showing you how to properly put on the strap, charge the battery, mount the lens, insert the storage card (and tell you what type of storage card to buy), etc. Nothing like trying to put a CF card or even a micro-SD card in an SD card slot, because that is what the "expert" at the store told you you would need. Put the strap on wrong and you will have your camera hit the ground.

Does that mean you have to read every single page of the manual and memorize it? No, of course not. But read the first section about setup and the section about taking still pictures using the view finder. It helps to know what those funny icons you see in the view finder and on the top of the camera mean.

Fun article. Not sure how useful it actually is, but it was a fun read anyway.

The main advice I'd give anyone first trying the switch from a small sensor device to larger format would be to set your expectations as low as possible. And when you think you've lowered them enough, go lower. You can't just compose and click with an APS or similar size camera, unless you're content having most of the photo, including most likely your subject, be out of focus. I had to un-learn and re-learn a lot when I first picked up the dslr.

A very good point as well - thankfully, the Auto Area modes in most autofocus systems these days are pretty good, but as soon as you switch the camera off of automatic, it usually reverts to a single point, which can definitely be confusing for inexperienced users.

I'd also add advice that one of my colleagues could have done with a few years back...

If your camera kit is labelled as 'weather-resistant', this DOESN'T mean you can change lenses or cards or open any of those little flaps in the middle of a torrential downpour. Nor should you disassemble and rinse your kit in a bucket of water if it gets mud on it!

There's nothing funny about it. There are a number of reasons to do it. The reason that's relevant to this article is that beginners have to start somewhere, and the kit lens is chosen by the manufacturer as a good starting point. After they've figured out what kind of photography they want to do, then they can buy the lens(es) that work best for that.

Or for folks like me who long ago figured out what kind of photography they want to do, they buy the camera with the lens that they need. For many kinds of photography, they only need one: fast portrait prime, or macro lens, or the street photography lens (which may be long or short depending on their preference), etc.

There are many pros who keep a single lens mounted on the camera at all times. Some pros have multiple cameras, each with a single lens permanently mounted.

It's not like there are DSLR/MILC-quality cameras with a wide range of fixed lenses, especially not lenses of the quality available in ILC line-ups.

THE FIRST ADVICE should be to get a nifty fifty or its format equivalent to supplement the dismal kit lenses that ship with most cameras ... the better fuji kit lens excluded from this criticism the 2.8-4 one

using the usually 2to 3 stop faster prime will make user think more and open up a world of available lught shooting crap kits zooms cant offer ... turning off flash shooting in black and white for a month looking at the masters work and really considering why those images have merit is the best guidance a newbie can get .... putting on a strap is the hard part

I find it funny because the kit is lagging behind the latest sensors such is found in the Nikon d3400. I have d3300 and reduced the RAW images to 6 to 9 MP photos and I still find it quite soft except in the center.

I am hoping to see a new Ricoh GR with such a 24 MP sensor. With such resolution, I would be able crop to my hearts content and still end up with an image sharper than the DSLR with kit.

Regarding the warranty card:In the US, returning the warranty card is not required to recieve benefits. In most cases, the card is just a way to get your information for marketing (and more junk mail).

I would definitely hang on to the warranty info, including addresses. And of course, your receipt showing the date of purchase and serial number.

After the post above, I just realized how still inconvenient it (ILCs) is to use for the image quality it gives. A fixed lens (even better, a prime) gives better results for the size, weight, cost. If not for DSLRs AF acquisition, I would not have kept my d3300 purchased three months ago. I also discovered that I would love to have wireless transfer of images to a smartphone, which is the only advantage of the d3400 over the d3300.

Modern cameras are designed for action shooting. Run up the shutter speed and ISO, compose and rapid fire. The aperture is wide open, auto focus is a crap shoot. That's where the money is. How can a beginner learn about photography this way?

Never used a lens cap all my lens cap's get thrown in a box, only to get out when the lens will be sold ! You will miss shots if you use it and it is a pain where to leave it when you get it off.It's just a silly piece of plastic with a brand name on it

Thanks guys, but was making a joke in vein of the article :) So many times I have had to give advice to "Pro Photograhers" in the lab. What's ISO? What is a flash meter? Why do you print my image too dark, it looks perfect on myiMac? This is from people that charge good money for images, not the Mom's and Dad's. Sometimes it scares me.

Check the instructions, sometimes the manufacture requires the warranty card be submitted within certain number of days of purchase. What you say is good if there is no requirement of time. Nothing is more frustrating to not send in the card, the camera fails and you find no warranty for failing to follow requirements.

i totally agree.... it a relic from the beginning of the electronic evolution of interchangeable lens cameras.... you dont realize how much moderns dslr control schemes are lacking until you pick up a fuji camera psam control with 2 dials , shutter speed and aperture both with an A setting ..as intuitive and logical and gas pedal and brake ....

there a lot of knee jerk resistance against fuji , but those of us who shoot with them , its like the clouds parting and sunshine at last

Modern cameras are designed for action shooting. Run up the shutter speed and ISO, compose and rapid fire. The aperture is wide open, auto focus is a crap shoot. That's where the money is. How can a beginner learn about photography this way?

Re: MarsViolet: huh?.. It's the only modern reasonably priced digital series of ILCs with those old-fashioned features, no more no less. Excluding Leica, because most people can't afford it. Sounds like you have your own bias.

Does the average amateur really need aperture and shutter speed control? Two simple settings, one for fast moving subjects and one to blur out the background, are all that's REALLY needed. The rest can be learned later, as required, and the amateur has probably stepped up his camera by then.

tom42: you tickled a memory of an incident that happened to me around 1970. My roommate just got his pilot's license, rented a Cessna, and begged me to accompany him on a short flight up the coast of northern California. I was quite terrified of small planes, but figured this might be my one and only chance to get some great low altitude photos of the beautiful coastline from the air. So I swallowed my fears, borrowed my girlfriend's Pentax, and climbed into the rented Cessna for a two hour ride in what turned out to be a spectacularly beautiful sunny day. My legs were so wobbly when we landed, I could hardly stand - but I was sure I had recorded my adventure for posterity, and had a full roll of film to prove it. Then I opened the camera to remove the film canister for processing . . . and found it empty!

Lovely illustrations, but I kinda doubt the article is very helpful. Apart from the strap, most of this is valid for smartphones as well - most have a shutter button with a half press and a flash, they need charging (and most come with a separate battery), most prompt you to enter time and date.

I know when I bought my first ILC, I didn't have the experience to mount a lens confidently without thinking. Some people may get slightly confused by the mechanical zoom ring or find it uncomfortable at first.

If anything, the best way to try out a new ILC might be to disable the flash (most cameras with a mode dial have a separate position for that) and see how much better results you get. And yea, the card. That can be a new thing for some people.

Beginners may also be intimidated by the whole size and heft of the thing; might be worth to explain a little bit why it's still worthwhile to have such a separate large-ish camera in the first place.

Even a MILC is still a separate machine and not every one is exactly tiny so it still makes sense to explain why it's worth it to carry a standalone camera, why it's useful to have replaceable lenses and all that.

There were attempts and all were failures. A camera is something you use occasionally. A phone is something you use all the time. They are inherently different devices. Why would I want a camera that I need to recharge every day even when not (or barely) using it? Why would I want a phone that has a large camera device contraption stuck into it the whole time even when I need it?

And that's not mentioning the ergonomics. A phone you want to be as slim and light as possible. Usually a large screen too; buttons have been pretty much abandoned. With camera you want a good rubber grip and button controls; and some heft can be welcome for additional stabilization. And that's just the surface.

reference to different lenses how they mount. why a prime?..how about telling newbies to explore setting and chimp a bit to see how they affect an image... the i auto setting i what people do when they dont know what they are doing .... telling them to go there is a type of surrender .... how about a couragous program or somewhat safe shutter or aperture priority? what their about? how they change things?...the most important advice is left out.. google best photographers learn what mary allen mark, cartier bresson, robert frank,imogene cunningham many others did with a camera... take a moment to look at their images let them wash over you and let them help you see. ..keep looking, try looking at a single image for 2. minutes ...close your eyes open them .whats 1st seen... 2nd? try a shot different ways and determine whats happening why things change. if your gonna get a real camera ... why not use it like a real camera ,this is the advice i give to all budding shooters

All great ideas...but maybe better for Days 2 through 100 for someone brand new to ILC? In the new year, we plan to include more of the tutorials and tips like the ones you suggest. I especially like your advice to look at photographers/photography you love and try to sort out what it is that draws you in. Great way to learn your own photographic eye!

perhaps,,, but surely an illustration of lens mounting and registration marks ... telling people to format a memory card in camera following battery insertion rather than a mention further down the list and some basic advice on holding a camera etc merits inclusion on first day advice ....

Merry Christmas! Great article. As a site populated by enthusiasts I think many of us forget how intimidating all of this can be for beginners. Good workI wouldn't mind seeing more of this in the future

On page 3, I'd have made a bigger deal about YOU NEED A MEMORY CARD. Most interchangeable lens cameras straight out of the box will happily snap pictures with no card inserted, even though they have no built-in storage. It can be pretty discouraging to find out the hard way that your Christmas Day pictures weren't stored anywhere and are gone forever.

Indeed. This is what most people forget and what keeps them from being able to take pictures right away. This is a major point that should be made. Buy a memory card when you give a DSLR to someone that does not already own one.

Again RTFM, usually tells how to disable shooting without memory card. Some PAS have quite a bit of built-in memory and can shoot lots of shots without a card. Problem until you insert a card you can't save them.

Seems senseless that until now, no ILC, except one (or more?) Leicas come with a small solid state memory built-in the camera. Even experienced people sometimes forget that they left the card out or it's full and have no spare. Memory is cheap these days and most ILCs cost over a thousand.

Protective lens filter is good too, the marginal IQ loss is worth the extra lens protection from scratch/oils/front element coating corrosion etc.. the hood should also stay on all the time for contrast (even indoors).

for me, the most fidgety part was to get the damm strap on the camera in the first place!! I've had many new cameras over the years, film and digital, and for these clumsy hands, the strap is the biggest challenge!

But apart from the few lines on lens assembly, the guide could just as well be called : "Fresh out of the box: getting started with your first camera"This guide would go for practically any (enthusiast) compact as well. :)

As the title specifically pick out "interchangeable" , Perhaps it would be nice to guide people on when to use what type of lens, apart from the few lines on zoom versus getting closer. (Especially if the kit got multiple lenses)

DSLR camera for a new beginner is a NO NO in 2016. An OVF camera is hopeless in these "beginner cameras". Small dark pentamirror is miserable. There's no live view exposure feedback, face detection or 100% view. You'll probably use it a few times and see that your iPhone is so much easier to use and shelf it by January 2nd and forget about it.

As a long time DSLR user I hate to have to agree with you, but I do. Beginners will be accustomed to using a mobile phone and there is no doubt that mirrorless is the "way forward". The transition from phone to mirrorless will be easier than to a DSLR, and the camera is more likely to be carried and used than a DSLR.

For many serious photographers a DSLR remains the best option (I wouldn't swap my DSLR for ANY mirrorless, although that may change when the next generation of Sony a7 series is released), but mirrorless is best for novices.

dslrs are the dying dinosaurs of the camera world .... grind the dslr axe all you want .... it does not change how much more compact mirrorless camera are more useable more likely to be brought along easier to pack smaller footprint lighter smaller lenses smaller bodies

and if one cares about learning and using setting and having them front and center like a real camera instead of spinning unmarked polycarbonite dials on a plastic meteorite then fuji is the best option.....

the xe2s with the best built fastest kit lens in the history of photographyor a hunk of black plastic with a crappy kit lens ... i know what i recommend to new shooters built like a tank better iq than most dslrs ,fairly priced and the joy of lookin thru a bright evf for the first time make most uninitiates gasp with wonder

and the live view is so much better and a more logical transition for camera phone users

backward thinking nonsense... mirrorless focus on the sensor not a off sensor module approximating the lens to sensor distance with a plague of front and back focus issues related to an older technology

sony fuji olympus and panasonic mirrorless is leading the way in spite of the disease of ludditeism affecting the mind of many a shooter

Check out how many wildlife, documentary, wedding and architectural photographers use DSLRs. Check how many photogs at Olympics, soccer, athletics events, politics, war coverage etc use DSLRs.

Then see if you can spot a single mirrorless camera among the throng...

Mirrorless is the way forward, but there are still many genres where a DSLR and its vast system of lenses will produce the goods where a mirrorless can't. Most pros and serious amateurs will stick with DSLRs for now, partly because the long term durability of mirrorless brands is unproven, and partly because no mirrorless provides a complete set of pro-quality native primes, zooms, tilt/shift & macro lenses.

Currently I'd say that mirrorless is in the lead for astrophotography, landscape and possibly product photography, but not in the fields mentioned above.

Unfortunately, I figured this was a no-win situation. I needed an example camera for the photos, and the D3400 is a camera - it was not a political decision. These tips were designed to be relevant for anyone with any interchangeable lens camera.

i must concede what you say is true.. but id attribute much of it to inertia of the dslr world rather than any inherent goodness in dslr vs mirrorless, you question the durability of "untested mirrorless brands" you seem to be suggesting that brands like olympus,Fuji,Sony remain untested next to the canikon lines? what? the olympus brand & fuji are venerable camera makers & deserve the same respect as canon\nikon, sonys new to the stills , buts proven itself in the professional markets for television/video /pro editing, sensors for a long time ....panasonic itooin fact i think the mechanical aspect & slapping components and off sensor focus of slrs are more prone to problems than the almost solid state elegance of mirrorless systems,i know the entrenched dslr systems are here for a while,& withupkeep & adjustments perform admirably\ have amazing lens arsenals ... but mirrorless will eat away till nothing remains eventually

we all were once...... ive no issue with your article using a nikon dslr for the amusing photos .. i cracked a smile or 2... but it needed more meat and didn't seem to address ilc but almost any cameras

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